Jeff Beck, one of the greatest guitarists of all time, died on Wednesday (10/1), aged 78, after contracting bacterial meningitis.
He began his career playing in obscure British bands and as a session musician, and rose to prominence when asked to replace Eric Clapton in the English rock band The Yardbirds in 1965.
One of the most influential bands in the mod scene, the Yardbirds owe a lot to the way Jeff Beck distorted their sound. If with Clapton the musicians played British blues in the style of the Rolling Stones, then from the new guitarist they adopted a louder and more accelerated manner, surpassing the Who in the genealogy of the emergence of garage rock, punk and heavy metal. Not surprisingly, the next band of the other guitarist of the group, Jimmy Page, was Led Zeppelin.
The Yardbirds gained worldwide fame when they were filmed by director Michelangelo Antonioni in the film “Blow Up” (1966), in a scene showing Jeff Beck destroying his guitar. It wasn’t something he usually did, which made him uncomfortable when asked to imitate Pete Townshend of The Who.
In 1967 he formed his own band, the Jeff Beck Group, which included singer Rod Stewart and guitarist and bassist Ron Wood, later Rolling Stone. But that project fell apart when he suffered a car accident in 1969, which cut short his career until 1971, when he reemerged with a new Jeff Beck Group.
At the same time, he also formed the supergroup Beck, Bogert & Appice in 1973, joining two former Vanilla Fudge members, Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert. But the emphasis of his career from then on was solo work, particularly the 1975 album Blow by Blow, produced by Beatles collaborator George Martin, and 1977’s Wired, both certified disco. of platinum.
Seven of his albums have also achieved gold status. In addition, he has won eight Grammys and was ranked number five on Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists” list.
Though he enjoyed a prestigious solo career, Jeff Beck continued to be a sought-after collaborator. He has played with some of pop/rock’s hottest stars, including Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, Roger Waters and even Jon Bon Jovi, both in concert and on hit records.
His most recent work was the album “18”, a collaborative project with actor and musician Johnny Depp. It was released in July 2022 with several covers and two original songs, and took the pair on a tour of the UK in what will now be remembered as the rock legend’s farewell tour.
Recall the classic performance of the Yardbirds in the movie “Blow Up” below.
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Source: Terra
Jason Root is a writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth coverage of famous people in entertainment, sports, and politics. He has a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines and bringing readers an inside look at the lives of the famous. He has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley.
